Residents in Plymouth showed up Monday to honor those who have fallen while serving our country. They also said a big Thank You to those who came home. Main Street in Plymouth was lined with people to see our veterans march in the Plymouth Memorial Day Parade. Veterans from the Plymouth VFW Post 6695, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 528, and American Legion Post 391 participated in the parade. Out veterans were joined by representatives from many local youth organizations, as well as students from the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Marching Band.
The parade ended at Veterans Memorial Park, where bagpipes were played, two local Eagle Scouts led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the P-CEP Marching Band played the National Anthem. VFW Chaplain, Bob Caldwell led the audience in a moving prayer to both open, and then close the ceremony.
Retired Marine Lt. Colonel Steven Monaghan officiated the event, and Retired Air Force Major, and VVA 528 President Ron King gave a very poignant speech on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War.
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Mr. King spoke of the hardships Vietnam Veterans faced when returning home. He spoke of the hurt and rejection that Vietnam Veterans faced when returning home, and he shared the stated goal of VVA 528. “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”
He followed by reminding people how many veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, and how the Vietnam Veterans want to be a part of helping them, and also reminded people that every day “our numbers decrease, and soon the Vietnam Veterans will be just a memory.” He added that, “We want to do everything we can for our veterans while we are still here.”
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It is a testament to their greatness that the very men who never got that ticker tape parade, that were shunned by many Americans, and sometimes even spat upon when returning home, have made it their mission to make sure that those things never happen again to our returning troops.
I am embarrassed to say that after five years of living in Plymouth, this was my first Memorial Day Parade. I was struck by the silence of the crowd when our veterans marched past. Folks didn't speak, they just clapped. Folks who were previously sitting, stood up, lined the street, and clapped their hands in a fitting tribute to our veterans.
To witness this, made me proud to be an American...
